Schaefer Ambulance Service was founded by Jacob Walter Schaefer in 1932 as Hollywood Ambulance and was located in Los Angeles, California.
The company incorporated on August 3, 1945 as Schaefer Ambulance Service, Inc.
Over the years, Schaefer Ambulance purchased many other ambulance services in and outside of Los Angeles County. Through those acquisitions and business acumen, Mr. Schaefer and his management team grew the company to serve six Southern California counties with over 100 ambulances, specialty emergency vehicles, limousine ambulances and para-transit vehicles.
Walt Schaefer founded the first air ambulance service in the United States, in 1947. Originally based out of Compton/Woodley Airport, the air service division was later relocated to Van Nuys Airport. Schaefer Air Service, operated as part of Schaefer Ambulance Service until August 22, 1957 when Schaefer Air Services, Inc. was formed which resulted in the air service division continuing service as a separate operating entity but still a part of Schaefer Ambulance Service’s combined operations. Schaefer Air Service was also the first FAA-certified air ambulance service in the U.S.
At its peak in the early 1980s, Schaefer Ambulance Service provided ambulance service to dozens of communities in the following Southern California counties:
- Los Angeles County
- Orange County
- San Diego County
- Imperial County
- San Bernardino County
- Riverside County